Pulling the Thread
by Crystallized Tears
Summary: The Gods separated the mortals, created with four arms and legs and two faces, but one heart and one brain. But the Fates intervened. For a time, he thinks Octavia is his other half, until he's pulled together with somebody else. Or, the S5 speculation fic where the Bunker and Space Crew reunite without knowing about Clarke. And Bellamy is plagued by a myth.


**So over on AO3, a user asked me if I was planning on a Bellamy/Abby confrontation in _In the Light, We Survive_. I was (and have written one), but not the way they seemed to be suggesting. But it got me thinking - what if the Bunker, and the Space Crew, reunited before either knew about Clarke?**

* * *

Once, when he was young – before Octavia was born – Bellamy had curled up against his mother's side as she read to him from one of the few books on the Ark they had access to. It was a crazy old book, falling apart in so many places, and had pages missing (for those stories, Aurora just made up fillers. Bellamy loved those stories) but it was a real, honest book with stories from the past.

One particular passage caught at him afterwards. _The Gods were afraid of the mortals, who had been created with four arms and legs and two faces, but one heart, and one brain. He separated them, cast them into two separate beings that were weak enough for him to keep dominion over. But the Fates intervened, and the two parts that had once been whole still retained a link that brought them together time and time again, no matter what._

She'd frowned, running her fingers across the rest of the page that was smudged, illegible. This particular page didn't really match the rest of the book – someone had written it by hand and over the years, it had just become an accepted part of the book.

Until he took it out, eighteen years later, when his mother had just been floated and Octavia had been locked up in the Skybox to await the decision on her fate. It had sat in his breast pocket for that entire year, and his disbelieving mind had tricked him into believing that maybe, just maybe, Octavia was the other part of him – that there was some thread that the Fates had put there that would pull them back together.

When he saw her come down the ladder on the dropship, having landed on Earth, his belief was reinforced. He was together with his sister again.

Over the following year, regardless of what the ground threw at them, they always ended up back together. Her kidnapping, her escape with Lincoln during the battle at the dropship, his capture and then infiltration of Mount Weather, the whole situation with Pike and then knowing the end of the world was coming …

They'd kept coming together, all except for that last time when he left her to rescue Raven, and ended up jetting off the face of the Earth – literally – to survive, leaving her behind.

But he was back.

* * *

His first breath of air in six years was so sweet, so pure, and he filled his lungs once, twice, three times. Exhaled slowly, not wanting to let it go. Recycled oxygen just wasn't the same as fresh Earth air. The very thing that had given him life for the first twenty three years had felt like poison compared to this.

The sun was just as bright, and warm. The ground was just as hard, unmoving. All in such contrast to life in space.

But he wasn't here to revel in the feel of the ground. He was here to meet up with Octavia.

His friends, all relishing the Earth alongside him, looked to him for guidance. He didn't even need to say a word; Murphy hoisted one bag of supplies over his shoulder, and Echo grasped at the other, as they looked around them at the barren landscape.

Polis was due North of where they were. The readings provided by their new dropship had told them that. But the route wasn't the same as he remembered. It took longer, having to navigate collapsed tunnels that had almost caught Raven out the first time they'd gotten close.

The faces of the Grounders were both grief stricken. This land had provided for them. This land had been their home. Bellamy's heart went out to them, and he clasped at Emori's shoulder at one point when she stumbled over her own feet as the sight of a destroyed village appeared in the distance.

Murphy was there to support her, as always, once she'd regained herself. Harper, too, wrapping one arm briefly around her waist before she fell back into step beside Monty.

Their walk remained silent.

* * *

They broke their journey twice, once to sleep as night fell, and once to eat two hours into the walk the following morning. Raven bore the pain from her leg stoically, though Bellamy had offered to let them stop more if she needed it. But the urgency he felt was mirrored by the rest of them.

Four hours after that break, they reached Polis.

It was a ruin. Six different inhales caught, three coming out choked in despair. Only Murphy showed no emotion at the face of such destruction.

What had once been a tower dominating the landscape was now just two stories high, the rest of it scattered. Where the last of the bricks had fallen, the tower loomed like an ugly scar, matched in its dark beauty by the brown, dead mountains visible beyond.

As they picked their way amongst the ruins, they found no signs of life anywhere. No fires, no food. The only bedding had been singed or showed six years worth of neglect. Where were those in the Bunker?

Their radio calls had gone unanswered, so they had assumed, naively, that their friends had already left and reclaimed the ground. But their assumption had no evidence behind it, even as they made their way to the Bunker entrance.

The slabs of concrete above it showed their answer.

The Bunker hadn't been able to reopen.

One look between the able – leaving Raven and Monty in the background to direct and to work on fixing the portable radio they'd brought with them in the hopes they could maybe at least radio through – they set to work moving the rubble. Bit by bit, layer by layer, they worked, stopping only for food breaks and for power naps.

It took them three days. Three days of aching muscles, of panicked swears whenever it looked like other rubble might move. Three days of fiddling until they hit a frequency that seemed clear. Of course, there was still no reply, but Bellamy kept his hope.

He was still breathing. He _had_ to keep hoping.

When they finally cleared the door to the Bunker, they all but collapsed, nursing sprains they'd hidden from each other in their desperation. Bellamy rubbed his wrist, Harper her knee, Emori her bad hand and then the back of Murphy's neck.

He could have easily fallen asleep there, if his mind hadn't kept flicking back to Octavia. To the sister he needed to free from under the floor yet again.

A little before dawn, the door clicked.

Kane's lined, weathered face was the first one to peer through, and Bellamy found himself grinning at the man. _They were still alive down there._

Kane pushed the door open wider, climbed the last few steps, and then paused as he took in those who remained lingering by the door. Monty and Harper had stepped out, and Echo was dozing beneath the stars. But they were there.

Behind Kane, a head of dark plaits appeared. A question on her lips, cut off as forest green eyes widened in disbelief.

'Octavia!' Bellamy surged forward, and then his sister was in his arms, and his tears were burning down his cheek and into her shoulder, and her hands were clasping at his back as she laughed, the sound light and joyful and just so much like their mother. 'Thank God. I thought I lost you.'

She pulled away, her eyes wet but not yet leaking like his. 'I told you, I'd be waiting under the floor for you.' She smiled at him, then pulled him in for another rib-breaking hug. 'It's so good to see you.'

He nuzzled her hair, and it was only Raven's throat clearing that separated them.

But Bellamy was happy. His sister had been returned to him. His theory about their fates had once again proven true.

* * *

The twelve hundred filtered out, spread across the ruins of Polis. Bellamy watched each of them with curious eyes, watching as the clans that had once been at war living together side by side. Some came out in couples – the Azgeda and Trikru family with two young children surprised him.

The one thing he'd forgotten, though, was that with the opening of the Bunker, he would have to face Abby.

She was one of the last out, supporting a man with a broken leg back to the surface. She hadn't changed much. A few more lines, a haunted look to her eyes. An air of tiredness around her. But she still held the aura of authority she always had, the one that made Bellamy shrink back into himself as she scanned the seven of them gathered around the door.

'Where's Clarke?'

Just two words. Two little, innocent words, and his heart shattered almost as painfully as six years before.

The silence was uncomfortable, made worse by Abby's slowly morphing expression. Raven, to Bellamy's side, lay her hand on his arm and Monty, across from him, nodded. Kane stepped forward, curiosity on his face.

'Abby … I'm so sorry.'

Her face crumpled, eyes filling with furious, grieving tears. Bellamy swallowed, hard, unable to look at her for much longer. Her hands shook, and he closed his eyes against the keening coming from her throat.

'Abby …' Raven tried to step forward, but Bellamy thrust his arm in front of her. It was clear Abby was beyond reassurance, just by the sound she was making. 'Clarke saved us. None of us would have made it without her sacrifice.'

It wasn't enough.

It wouldn't ever be enough, and Bellamy knew it.

* * *

It came as no surprise to him that when Abby regained enough of her senses to be able to think at least semi-rationally, she came to find him where he sat a few minutes away from the Bunker. Octavia was sleeping peacefully at his feet, and Raven was propped up against the rubble they'd repurposed as a seat. Her eyes were barely open.

Abby was almost a whirlwind in her intensity. One minute, Bellamy watched her emerge from the Bunker, where Kane had escorted her back into until she calmed down. Then, far quicker than he imagined it could ever have taken to cross the distance, she was in front of him.

'You promised you'd keep her _safe_. How is letting my daughter _die_ for you keeping her safe?'

He threw his hands up as if in surrender. 'I never asked her to die. I'd have given _anything_ to have traded places with her – I'd have given up my spot on the ship in a heartbeat if I could.'

Raven jerked awake, and Octavia groaned, turning over in her sleep. Abby glared at him. 'You lied to me. You left her behind to _burn alive_. Did you even think about that? Did you think about how she'd die?'

Raven sucked in a sharp breath, and he felt as if Abby had sucker punched him.

But he still told the truth. 'Every single day. Every single time I looked down at the Earth, I prayed she found shelter so she didn't burn alive. But I know how unlikely that situation is. And it's been tearing me apart for six years.'

He was crying again. The memories playing in his mind, the thoughts he'd had, drew emotions from him he hated to name.

They were cleared away by the sting of Abby's palm meeting his cheek. 'My daughter is _dead_ because of you.'

'Abby, no.' Raven pushed herself up, one hand on Bellamy's shoulder. 'No. Bellamy isn't at fault here.' Her fingers tightened, and he glanced up at her. Her own face was wet with tears. 'I was the one who had to make the decision when to blast off, and I made that decision before Clarke made it back to the lab.'

Her voice caught, and Bellamy let one hand drift up to rest on hers in comfort. 'I'm the one who sent Clarke on the damn mission to fix the satellite, too. So don't blame Bellamy. It's not his –'

This slap was just as loud as his had been, and Raven's whole body jerked as her weight slipped onto her bad leg. Her fingers tightened painfully around his shoulder, tight enough he was pretty much guaranteed to bruise by the following day.

Abby's face was even more anguished than before, mouth moving without saying a word, tears flowing freely once again. The pair of them just looked at her, and Bellamy knew the sympathy he felt was great. He could only hope he was getting that across to her.

Her hand dropped, and her face screwed up. Kane, who had joined them in silence without any of them noticing, grasped at her to keep her on her feet. He whispered her name into her hair, pressed a kiss to her temple, and she turned into his embrace.

He gave the two of them a quick look, a small smile, and led the crying woman away with him.

* * *

The rest of Skaikru took it badly. A fair few of Trikru, too – Indra and her warriors, and Niylah. Word spread quickly amongst the clans, and when Bellamy passed by groups he'd hear them whispering _Wanheda has fallen_.

The first time he heard it, he wanted to punch the Azgedan who'd whispered it. The second time, his shoulders seized against the murmurings of a Sankru warrior. The third, he just turned his head away from a Trikru mother.

Abby found him again that night, as he was settling down to sleep. She slumped against the slabs he'd built up as protection against the wind, her whole body defeated and appearing as if she'd aged decades in the past two days.

'Why was she able to be left alone?'

He paused, eyes skimming the ground in front of him. He struggled to find the words, at first, but when he finally let himself look up at Abby, her face was peaceful. Her head was tilted back, looking up at the stars, and her hands were hanging loosely between her spread knees.

She was a strong woman. She deserved the truth.

'We knew the Ring had no oxygenator, so Monty and Murphy went to fetch it from the lighthouse. Raven also knew we needed communications on so we could switch the power on to the Ring. Unfortunately, we blew the system in the ship we were using. So the two of us got ready to go and set it up at the satellite tower.'

He dropped the blanket he'd been unfolding, shuffling backwards until he too leant against the slabs. The stars above him twinkled. 'Murphy came back alone. Monty had needed to take his gloves off, and passed out with the heavy dose of radiation he'd received. So I went to go help him get Monty inside, and she set off to the tower alone.'

'And she never came back,' Abby guessed, and Bellamy made a noise of assent. 'But she got the job done, like she promised.'

'Yeah.' He had to clear his throat, trying to ignore the lump that had built up. 'We got into space and the Ring was still dark when Raven began her spacewalk. And then all of a sudden, it lit up as she got the signal through to us. By the time we got inside and managed to get the air pumping, Praimfaya had hit.'

He closed his eyes against the memories of those precious last moments with her, and then the horror of realising afterwards just what their survival had cost.

'Your daughter was an amazing woman. I hope you know that.'

He heard her sniffling, and used the moment to wipe away his own tears. When she'd finally gotten herself back under control, one of her hands stretched out blindly to clasp at his.

'I know she was. And I know that she cared for you, deeply. She wouldn't have thought twice about sacrificing her life to keep you alive.'

He squeezed her hand back, and, still staring up at the stars, they sat in silence. Each mourning one of the most important people to have ever graced their lives.

* * *

Over the next three days, small groups of the Grounders packed up what few possessions they had and began to make their way back to their homes – or, in some cases, to places they could forge new ones. Nobody knew what lay outside of Polis.

A.L.I.E. had suggested some green space would have remained on Earth, and Bellamy could have sworn they'd seen a few small clusters spread out across the globe, but trying to work out where those green spaces were in comparison to Polis was a challenge.

Radios were handed out, and each group told to get in contact if they found one of those places. Most Grounders accepted the radio with a nod of thanks. A few refused, and set out without contact – mostly Azgeda. A few hesitated, and one of the members of Skaikru volunteered to go with them.

Bellamy stuck close to Octavia when her group – Abby, Jackson, Kane, Indra, six of Indra's warriors, and three mixed families – set out to see what they could find in the general direction of Arkadia. None of them held much hope, but they had to go and see.

At night, as they camped, he and Octavia would share stories – she'd tell him about being under the floor, and half the time he called her out on elaborating stories from her childhood as if they'd played out in the Bunker. He'd tell her about trying to keep a massive spaceship running when the two people who sort of understood it both had injuries that meant a lot of the heavy or delicate work was left to the others.

By day, he'd catch up with Kane on the situation between the clans, where some still kept the old lines. Indra would explain some of the details he didn't fully grasp straight away, and at times, they'd discuss battle strategies.

It turned out most of Skaikru had learnt Grounder combat. Indra offered to train Bellamy (with Octavia's generous assistance, of course).

Which was how he found himself flat on his back at least four times the following day, often with Octavia's smirk as she stood above him, hand outstretched as if holding a knife to his throat. They'd agreed that until he got the hang of it, training with weapons could wait.

On the second day, he was on his back just once, rusty moves from his brief stint training with Lincoln coming back to the forefront of his mind. Octavia showed the smallest hint of surprise, and then her face darkened.

Jackson patched up his broken nose.

On day three, they stopped by the river just a few hours west of the dropship. It was almost comical, twenty one of their group stopping, dropping their belongings and racing to bathe in honest to god running water.

They'd forgotten about the sea serpent that inhabited the river until Octavia's eyes widened, fingers brushing the scars she carried on her leg. They all raced out of the water pretty quickly after that. But the serpent never appeared, and slowly, one by one, they waded back in.

Scrubbing six years of Ark off felt like heaven.

* * *

Darkness was falling by the time they'd all had enough to drink, and felt clean enough. They camped out against the stones, and Bellamy pointed out constellations to Octavia who drank them in greedily. He hadn't really had that chance when they first came to Earth, and seeing the childish delight on her face reminded him of how much she'd loved his stories as a child.

The same stories Aurora had told him.

 _Four arms and legs and two faces, but one heart, and one brain._

His mind stuttered over the phrase as he drifted into sleep an hour after his sister.

* * *

It was still dark when he woke up.

One glance around him showed him that everybody still slept – there was nobody to stay watch for, no trees for animals to have hidden in – and that the moon hung just beyond its zenith. He estimated it was around three am.

Why was he awake? Groggily, he scanned his body. No, no bodily functions requiring attention.

The crunch of the footsteps behind his head made his heart seize.

A little distance away, he caught the tightening of Indra's shoulders, and the tensing of Octavia's hand above her blanket. Good. He wasn't the only one waking to this unknown creeping around.

Another footstep. Another crunch. He coiled his muscles, ready to jump up –

'Bellamy?'

His name was a surprise, and he whipped his head around. A young girl stood there, looking down at him in confusion he was sure he mirrored. 'You're Bellamy, right? Your hair gave you away.'

Around him, warriors moved. The girl's hands flew up. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean – I wasn't – I was just coming to get a drink and I saw you and I just had to know if you were _real_.' She sucked in a sharp, deep breath. 'It's been six years since I saw so many people in one place.'

'Who are you?' His voice was gruff with sleep, and the girl's eyes widened.

'Erm ... I'm Madi?' Her voice raised at the end, and her face took on a panicked look. 'I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to wake anyone. I just came to fill up the water flasks.'

His eyes fell to the three flasks hanging at her hip. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced over at Octavia. She'd made her way to his bed roll, one hand on the blade at her hip.

'Where did you come from?'

The girl – Madi – swallowed. 'A little village, on the outskirts of the Glowing Forest.' Her hands slowly lowered. 'Please. I don't mean harm. I just want water, and then I'll go again.'

Octavia's gaze was critical. 'How did you know my brother's name?'

Her hands flew back up. 'I – what? I didn't –'

'You called him Bellamy.' Octavia tilted her head. 'Why?'

The girl's face turned red, and she looked at her feet. 'I don't know?' Her lie was evident. Octavia snorted, and Indra stepped up beside her. 'I just thought …' The girl's gaze raked over all of them. Some of their number were still asleep, but the warriors were slowly edging closer. 'I'm sorry, I shouldn't …'

She took off running. Indra's orders were quick. 'Follow her and bring her back!'

* * *

It only took the warriors two hours to find her, grab her, and bring her back. By that time, still exhausted, Bellamy had fallen asleep again.

When he woke this time, he kept his eyes closed against the sunlight breaking over the horizon. He could hear the stones being displaced by two heavy bodies, and one much smaller one kicking them. He could hear her grumbles, the _why do I have to do this_ and _I didn't mean to wake them, I swear, I was just going for water!_

Who was she talking to?

He groaned, turning his head away from them. To this side, he could hear people waking at the disturbance, and getting ready for the day. He couldn't tell who, of course, but he didn't care. Sleep pulled at him, and he'd much rather sleep through whatever was going to happen with the girl.

At least, that was what he thought, until he heard Abby.

She was crying again, and running, kicking stones about her. One hit Bellamy's cheek and he winced, one hand lifted to rub at the sore spot it left behind. Slower steps – Kane? – passed him hesitantly.

The girl had fallen silent, and Abby was still sobbing. What had set her off this time?

'Mom?'

His eyes flew open in surprise. That voice … it couldn't be …

'I _knew_ I got the right people!' The girl's voice was exuberant, and a laugh erupted from somebody. 'See, I told you I thought I recognised them.'

'Alright, Madi, you were right.' The voice was filled with both humour and sadness. 'You still need to fill those flasks, though, okay?'

A heavy sigh, and then the small footsteps crunching over until he heard the water's surface being disturbed instead.

He turned his head, almost unwilling. Octavia was stood beside him, a small smile on her face; Indra stood beside her with amazement etched on hers.

Abby obscured his view, but she and Kane were holding each other in an embrace with one arm, their others folded around someone in front of them. Someone whose voice was that of a ghost.

Pale arms wrapped around Abby's waist, hands clasping tightly at the back of her shirt. Bellamy pushed himself up onto his elbows, breath coming faster and faster.

Kane pulled from the embrace first, wiping at his cheeks. Abby held on that little bit tighter, but the gap Kane had created – it showed Bellamy exactly what he needed to see.

His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he pushed himself to his feet, clumsily. His steps weren't straight, and he felt as if he'd finished three or four cups of Monty's moonshine.

When he was just behind Abby, he stopped. Looked down at the head of blonde waves in her arms. Felt his mouth move, struggling to form words – until he settled on just one.

'Clarke?'

She pulled back from Abby, who let out a little whine at the loss of contact; but those big, blue eyes turned to Bellamy and he was lost in them.

'Bellamy.' She breathed his name, and her lips curved up in a smile despite the telltale tracks from tears she'd already shed. 'You made it.'

He nodded, and with just that, she flung her arms around his neck, holding him close. His hands folded around her back, treating her with such care – because how was she alive? Really? How did she survive Praimfaya?

Right now, it didn't matter.

Right now, all that mattered was that she _was_ alive. That she _had_ survived. And that she had found them.

Behind her head, Abby caught his gaze. She gave him a sad smile, and mouthed, _'I'm sorry.'_

He nodded, just slightly, and buried his head into Clarke's hair, only just catching Octavia's words to Jackson.

'And again, something I never thought I'd see happen. I think we should give them some privacy, don't you?'

He couldn't agree more.

* * *

When she finally pulled away from him, it was just the two of them, Abby, and the young girl. Kane had stepped away with a soft word in Abby's ear, and the others had disappeared to give them some peace.

Bellamy couldn't take his eyes from her, and Abby was just as bad. Clarke kept flushing, looking away and folding her body up smaller as if to hide from their view.

Abby prised the story of how she'd survived out – Bellamy's throat tightened at knowing just how close to death she _had_ come. Madi volunteered the story of how they'd found each other – _'I was in a bunker to start with, came out when I got hungry and the fires stopped. Clarke found me and gave me food one day.'_

Clarke explained why she hadn't been there earlier, why it had taken nearly two weeks since Bellamy's landing – ' _There was a prisoner ship that landed. I was scoping them out, trying to work out what was going on. Thinking nobody else was on the ground yet, I managed to set up a relationship with them. Madi and I will trade food and water and fur – yes, there are animals, Bellamy – and they'd help us free you guys in the Bunker. Not that we need it, now._ '

Madi explained where they'd been living – ' _The dropship, at times, and what's left of the big ship – Arkadia – at others. We've been to the island a few times too._ ' – while Clarke nestled against her mother again.

Her hand stretched out to her other side, to squeeze Bellamy's, and he squeezed hers back, still unable to believe this was real.

It was only her passing comment that made him think again. 'You used your head, Bellamy. Thank you.'

 _Four arms and legs, two faces, one heart and one brain_.

Clarke had been there ever since the dropship. A pain in his ass, to be sure, but she'd been there. Questioning him. Challenging his emotion based decisions with her logic based ones.

 _A link that brought them together time and time again, no matter what._

The dropship. The ring of fire, and reuniting after she escaped Mount Weather. The drama in Mount Weather itself. Saving her from Azgeda, trying to save her from the attack on Polis (that wasn't an attack on Polis). A.L.I.E.

Praimfaya.

It wasn't Octavia he was linked to.

Maybe it never had been.

As Clarke threw him a small smile, he fell even further.

And for once, he didn't mind one bit.

Fate kept bringing them together for a reason, and as he squeezed her hand back, he swore to himself he'd be damned if he let her go again.

* * *

 **Okay, so I may have dipped into the whole "soulmates" thing ever so slightly ... but it fits Bellamy's character so well. And being an oral legend I've changed it slightly from what most of us know it as.**

 **Anyway. That's my take on how it might go if everybody but Clarke reunites first.**

 **Oh, and as you can probably tell by now, this isn't an alternate set in the same continuation as _Into the Light_. Just because I mentioned things in here doesn't mean they're going to be the same in my other story ... ;)**


End file.
